Rumble In The Jungle

Today--30 October-- I realized that it's the 32nd anniversary of the Rumble in the Jungle, the historical boxing event that pitted Muhammad Ali against George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. I've never been a big fan of the sport, but have always had an appreciation for it. This got me to thinking about the Evander Holyfield Vs. Mike Tyson fight in the summer of 1997. The event, also known as the "Bite Fight"--which will perhaps go down in history as this generation's "Rumble in the Jungle"--was the one where Tyson bit off the ear of Holyfield. I always found it comfortably ironic that a man who looks like a pitbull would do such a thing.

I remember watching the fight with a group of friends in a rented condominium. As soon as it happened, I was handed my sketchbook and urged to draw the possible aftermath of what had just occurred. It should be noted that this evening--that of 28 June, 1997--was also the night that I had my first taste of whiskey (the whiskey, obviously, came after the drawing). It was indeed one for the history books.

I had forgotten all about this sketch and rushed downstairs to my basement studio to see if I still had the book in which it was contained. Upon finding it, I was also reminded of when I added the drawing to my professional design portfolio immediately after having finished it. A few months later, I was called a "racist" by a potential client, and so felt compelled to take it out immediately.